CVT belts (belts for use in continuously variable transmissions) are formed by positioning a large number of metal elements with respect to each other and arranging the elements around the entire circumference of a hoop as a metal strip formed into a ring shape. Since the CVT belt is wound around pulleys and rotated, the rotation radius obtained by the arrangement of the large number of elements need be designed so that the inner peripheral portions of body portions located on the inner periphery of the hoop have a smaller rotation radius than the portions of the body portions which are located radially outward of the inner peripheral portions. Accordingly, the elements are formed so that the inner peripheral portions of the body portions have a smaller thickness than the remaining portions thereof.
Conventionally, a long strip-shaped material that is used to blank the elements is produced in advance so that its lateral region where the inner peripheral portions of the body portions are to be formed has a smaller thickness than its lateral region where the remaining normal thickness portions of the body portions are to be formed (see, e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).
For example, Patent Document 3 discloses that the sectional shape of a V-block (element) press material is formed so as to have substantially the same width in the outer peripheral portions of V-blocks and so as to be tapered toward the inner peripheral ends of the V-blocks from a position located at a predetermined distance from locking edges toward the inner peripheries of the V-blocks.